Club Nintendo: sign up again by July 15 or lose Stars points

Club Nintendo fans in Europe have been told this week that they risk losing their entire stock of Nintendo 'Stars' if they don't agree to new privacy terms.

Customers have until July 15th to agree to new terms which give "permission to gather information about your online activities on our web site and with Nintendo’s products," a Nintendo statement said.

The company said the move was necessary "To allow us to implement additional features on our website, to improve our products and to adapt them to our users’ needs and preferences."

However, a stern warning later in the email - sent out on the 29th June, and again yesterday - revealed that users must comply with the new terms by Sunday or have their entire memberships deactivated.

The email stated: "If you choose to DECLINE our new Privacy Policy , you will from [July 15th] onwards no longer be able to use your Stars in the Stars Catalogue, as we will be forced to deactivate your Nintendo membership."

The new privacy terms will give Nintendo the authority to track users' browsing habits on the Nintendo site, as well as their Wii console useage. A snippet of the statement said: "Nintendo will collect information about the way you use your Wii and the Wii Network Services including, but not limited to, information about the games you download and/or play and how long you play them."

However, closer inspection of the new privacy terms revealed an incentive to allow Nintendo access to your information. By linking your Wii Shop Channel account to the Club Nintendo account, users will be able to redeem Stars (included as a scratch card within every first party Nintendo title) to get Wii Points online, claim Stars for Virtual Console games you purchase, and you will be able to check your statistics from Wii games with online functionality - all depedant on availability, Nintendo said.

Readers with long memories will recall this has been vaguely promised since the Wii launched, and Nintendo was unwilling to give a date on when these new features would be available, other than repeating that it will be "soon".

So, in summary, head over to Club Nintendo now if you want to keep hold of your Stars collection. Think of all the goodies you might miss out on otherwise....